Times Of Swaziland: MEDICAL DRUGS THEFT: NO LAW TO DEAL WITH CULPRITS

MEDICAL DRUGS THEFT: NO LAW TO DEAL WITH CULPRITS
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Stanley Khumalo on 10/10/2022 08:57:00


MANZINI – As government is investigating the shortage of drugs, there is no
law to specifically deal with the perpetrators who steal drugs in public health
facilities.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, when asked about the
unaccounted for medical drugs and pharmaceuticals in hospitals. She said the
ministry was pinning its hopes on the Pharmacy Bill, which would deal
specifically with those found to be contributing to the recurrent shortage of
medical drugs and pharmaceuticals. Nkosi said claiming that medication was not
stolen would be untruthful. She said she was hopeful that the Bill would pass in
Parliament so that it could deal with some of the causes of the perennial
shortage of medical drugs and pharmaceuticals. Nkosi said the ministry had a
great system at the Central Medical Stores (CMS), which accounted for drugs;
however, the challenge was once the medication was distributed to health
facilities, it was hard to monitor.
Quantified
The minister said the CMS was audited annually and the unaccounted for drugs
quantified. She said this was then published in the AG’s report. She said
investigations were initiated to establish the challenge. She said the Auditor
General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, recently had another audit which quantified
cumulative losses, which included the obsolete drugs and donated drugs that were
rendered unsuitable for use by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Some of the
drugs, the minister said, were those that had been donated during the COVID-19
pandemic. Nkosi said the donors were convinced that they (drugs) would help in
the fight against the pandemic; however, WHO said they should be discarded. The
minister said at the moment, there were personnel within the ministry who were
caught stealing medication and due to the current legislation, these individuals
were suspended; but continued to draw salaries monthly.
Suspended
“They are suspended instead of being in jail for stealing drugs, which has
serious consequences on the public health system,” the minister said. She said
the Pharmacy Bill would assist the ministry in cleaning up the health sector as
it would criminalise being found with medication without a licence. Nkosi said
it would also assist in arresting people who shall be found in possession of
medication without a licence. This, she said, would assist in dealing with the
mushrooming pharmacies in the country. In the absence of this law, this
publication has gathered that over E150 million drugs are unaccounted for in
public health facilities. This figure was said to be a projection of all public
health facilities, following an audit which was instituted by the AG, Timothy
Matsebula.
Impeccable sources have claimed that in two years, there was missing stock of
medicines or unaccounted for pharmaceuticals amounting to E18.79 million. It was
gathered that about a fraction of the amount was missing stock from the CMS,
amounting to over E5.9 million. This stock was gathered to have been unaccounted
for in 2021 and this year. The sources further claimed that various health
facilities had unaccounted for stock of medical drugs and pharmaceuticals. This
publication recently reported that at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM)
Hospital, medical drugs worth over E250 000 had gone missing. The loss at RFM
Hospital was said to be a discovery made during the audit by Matsebula.
Uncovered
It is worth noting that this publication has recently reported that there were
more pharmacies than registered pharmacists with the Eswatini Medical and Dental
Council. This was uncovered by this publication in an independent investigation,
which also the Ministry of Health made similar findings in its survey.
Meanwhile, the minister said: “The hike in the number of unaccounted for drugs
shall be solved by the Pharmacy Bill, which shall be inclusive of the criminal
aspect to deal with those found stealing pharmaceuticals in public health
facilities.”
Nkosi said instead of individuals being suspended from work, the Bill would seek
that they be arrested and subsequently their services terminated from the civil
service for stealing. She said at the moment, those found to be in possession of
pharmaceuticals yet they were not qualified to dispense them were able to pay an
admission of guilt; however, with the new legislation, these individuals would
be arrested and the pharmaceuticals in their possession would be destroyed.
Nkosi said the ministry was pinning its hopes on this Bill. It is worth noting
that this publication recently reported that the ‘disappearance’ of the
drugs was caused by some missing stock cards, which had the transactions.
The proposed Pharmacy Bill No. 8 of 2021 states that the sale of pharmaceutical
products by individuals or companies that are unregistered could come with a
fine of E50 000 or imprisonment not exceeding two years. The object of the Bill
is meant to regulate the pharmacy protection and to establish the Pharmacy
Council. Section 55 of the Pharmacy Bill, No. 8 of 2021, proposes that offences
under the anticipated Act are to the effect that a person who, not being
registered, yet carries on a business as a pharmacist or allows to be described
as a pharmacist, commits an offence and may face two years imprisonment.